Railway-spike



(No Model.)

B. E. KNIGHT.

RAILWAY SPIKE.

Patented Nov. 3, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. KNIGHT, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent i\To. 570,601, dated November 3, 1896.

Application filed December 21,1895. Serial No. 572,944. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Spikes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to railway-spikes, and the object thereof is to provide an improvement in this class of devices by means of which the spike is held securely in place when once driven into position in the tie; and the invention consists of the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved railway-spike, and Fig. 2 a transverse section thereof.

In the practice of my invention I provide a spike A, having the usual head B, one side of which is projected, as shown at b, so as to overlap the base-flange of a railway-rail, and the body of the spike is preferably square in cross-section, and on each side thereof are formed vertical or longitudinal cavities or recesses beveled inwardly on its sides and end, in which are formed vertical ribs or projections a, the cavities or recesses being of such depth that the outer edges of the vertical ribs or projections, which are preferably triangular in cross-section, project even with the main surface of the sides of the spike. The object of this construction is to provide means whereby the spike will be securely held within the tie, and when the spike is driven into position the wood of the tie will, 0

as will be understood, expand into the vertical or longitudinal cavities or recesses and fill the spaces between the vertical ribs or projections a, and by this means the spike will be securely held in position and will not work loose or come out and cannot be withdrawn without the application of great force thereto.

The lower end of thespike may be sharpened or shaped in any desired manner, and it is not absolutely essential that the body of the spike should be square in cross-section, as three or more sides may be employed.

I thus accomplish the object of my invention by means of a simple and effective construction, which does not materially add to the cost of the spike, and which is well adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended. c

Having fully described my invention, its construction and operation, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A spike provided upon each of its sides with a vertical or longitudinal cavity, the sides and ends of which are beveled inwardly, said cavity having longitudinal ribs extendin g its entire length, each rib being triangular in cross-section, and projecting outwardly even with the surface of the spike-body, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of December, 1895.

EDWARD E. KNIGHT. lVit-nesses:

ANDREW G. MAGUIRE, EUGENE W. LEVY. 

